Michael David Smith
@michaeldavidsmith.bsky.social
Football writer, physical fitness enthusiast, adoring husband.
The Packers trailed 3-0 in the fourth quarter and faced a fourth-and-11 at the Eagles’ 40-yard line. The analytics said the best choice was a 58-yard field goal and the next-best choice was going for it. Matt LaFleur picked the worst choice, a punt.
www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb...
www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb...
Packers' punt for a touchback in the fourth quarter came back to haunt them
With the Packers trailing 3-0 in the fourth quarter on Monday night, they faced a fourth-and-11 at the Eagles' 40-yard line.
www.nbcsports.com
November 11, 2025 at 1:07 PM
The Packers trailed 3-0 in the fourth quarter and faced a fourth-and-11 at the Eagles’ 40-yard line. The analytics said the best choice was a 58-yard field goal and the next-best choice was going for it. Matt LaFleur picked the worst choice, a punt.
www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb...
www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb...
The NFL's officials have just decided to stop doing their jobs on the tush push. The Eagles false start? Don't call it. The Eagles fumble? Claim forward progress was stopped. It's unreal.
November 11, 2025 at 1:32 AM
The NFL's officials have just decided to stop doing their jobs on the tush push. The Eagles false start? Don't call it. The Eagles fumble? Claim forward progress was stopped. It's unreal.
The Panthers beat the Falcons 30-0.
The Falcons beat the Bills 24-14.
The Bills beat the Panthers 40-9.
Football is weird.
The Falcons beat the Bills 24-14.
The Bills beat the Panthers 40-9.
Football is weird.
October 26, 2025 at 8:12 PM
The Panthers beat the Falcons 30-0.
The Falcons beat the Bills 24-14.
The Bills beat the Panthers 40-9.
Football is weird.
The Falcons beat the Bills 24-14.
The Bills beat the Panthers 40-9.
Football is weird.
ESPN's officiating analyst Russell Yurk will tell the viewers one thing, the replay ruling is something else, and then the ESPN broadcast just acts like there’s no need to explain.
October 21, 2025 at 12:33 AM
ESPN's officiating analyst Russell Yurk will tell the viewers one thing, the replay ruling is something else, and then the ESPN broadcast just acts like there’s no need to explain.
When the NFL started running commercials on RedZone Channel, the spin from the league was that they would be very minimal, just four 15-second ads over the course of seven hours. That didn't last long. www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb...
NFL adds more commercials to RedZone Channel
When the NFL decided to add commercials to RedZone Channel — which had long been advertised as "Seven hours of commercial-free football" — the spin from the league was that these commercials would be ...
www.nbcsports.com
October 20, 2025 at 12:12 AM
When the NFL started running commercials on RedZone Channel, the spin from the league was that they would be very minimal, just four 15-second ads over the course of seven hours. That didn't last long. www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb...
The Giants were winning 19-0 at the start of the fourth quarter, scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, and lost. Amazing.
October 19, 2025 at 11:39 PM
The Giants were winning 19-0 at the start of the fourth quarter, scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, and lost. Amazing.
Right call by Matt LaFleur to go for it on fourth down but you'd hope he wouldn't need to burn a timeout before making the right call.
October 19, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Right call by Matt LaFleur to go for it on fourth down but you'd hope he wouldn't need to burn a timeout before making the right call.
Remember when people first started complaining about commercials during RedZone and we were told, "Relax! It's only four commercials during the whole seven-hour show"? Yeah, well they've already increased it. By my count there have been six so far today. They'll keep steadily adding more and more.
October 19, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Remember when people first started complaining about commercials during RedZone and we were told, "Relax! It's only four commercials during the whole seven-hour show"? Yeah, well they've already increased it. By my count there have been six so far today. They'll keep steadily adding more and more.
There have been as many field goals longer than 60 yards in the NFL in the last five minutes as there were in the entire 20th Century.
October 19, 2025 at 9:52 PM
There have been as many field goals longer than 60 yards in the NFL in the last five minutes as there were in the entire 20th Century.
Did Shohei Ohtani just play the greatest game in the history of baseball? As a pitcher he threw six innings, gave up no runs and struck out 10. As a hitter he went 3-for-3 with three home runs. The game won the Dodgers the NL pennant. Has any player ever done that much in a game that important?
October 18, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Did Shohei Ohtani just play the greatest game in the history of baseball? As a pitcher he threw six innings, gave up no runs and struck out 10. As a hitter he went 3-for-3 with three home runs. The game won the Dodgers the NL pennant. Has any player ever done that much in a game that important?
Are we sure the Bills are good? The four teams they've beaten have a combined record of 3-22.
October 14, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Are we sure the Bills are good? The four teams they've beaten have a combined record of 3-22.
Buccaneers now have four wins and they did not have a lead with 1:00 remaining in the fourth quarter in any of them
October 5, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Buccaneers now have four wins and they did not have a lead with 1:00 remaining in the fourth quarter in any of them
Adonai Mitchell just fumbled away a sure touchdown because he started celebrating at the 2-yard line and dropped the ball. It's amazing that this happens every football season. You'd think it happens once, ever, and then every single player makes absolutely certain to secure the ball before scoring.
September 28, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Adonai Mitchell just fumbled away a sure touchdown because he started celebrating at the 2-yard line and dropped the ball. It's amazing that this happens every football season. You'd think it happens once, ever, and then every single player makes absolutely certain to secure the ball before scoring.
USC just got called for roughing the passer when Illinois ran the Philly Special. Rare to see roughing the passer called for a hit on anyone other than the quarterback, but by rule roughing the passer applies to all forward passes except illegal forward passes beyond the line of scrimmage.
September 27, 2025 at 5:05 PM
USC just got called for roughing the passer when Illinois ran the Philly Special. Rare to see roughing the passer called for a hit on anyone other than the quarterback, but by rule roughing the passer applies to all forward passes except illegal forward passes beyond the line of scrimmage.
Matt Eberflus finally got the most out of Caleb Williams' talent.
September 21, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Matt Eberflus finally got the most out of Caleb Williams' talent.
The Buccaneers were losing with 1:00 remaining in the fourth quarter of all three of their games this season. They're 3-0.
September 21, 2025 at 8:20 PM
The Buccaneers were losing with 1:00 remaining in the fourth quarter of all three of their games this season. They're 3-0.
Eagles -3.5. Never in doubt.
September 21, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Eagles -3.5. Never in doubt.
There have been five fumbles in the Steelers-Patriots game and the Steelers have recovered all of them. The Patriots have out-gained the Steelers by almost 200 yards but it's tied in the fourth quarter because the Steelers are getting all the luck on fumble recoveries.
September 21, 2025 at 7:33 PM
There have been five fumbles in the Steelers-Patriots game and the Steelers have recovered all of them. The Patriots have out-gained the Steelers by almost 200 yards but it's tied in the fourth quarter because the Steelers are getting all the luck on fumble recoveries.
With how much NFL fans pay for Sunday Ticket, it should be a flawless viewing experience. Today it's glitching like crazy, with viewers all over the country reporting that they can't watch the games they paid for. www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb...
YouTube having technical difficulties with NFL Sunday Ticket
Fans across the country are taking to social media to report that Sunday Ticket isn't working.
www.nbcsports.com
September 21, 2025 at 5:36 PM
With how much NFL fans pay for Sunday Ticket, it should be a flawless viewing experience. Today it's glitching like crazy, with viewers all over the country reporting that they can't watch the games they paid for. www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb...
Fox broadcast just going to ignore the fact that the Eagles false-started on the first tush push?
September 14, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Fox broadcast just going to ignore the fact that the Eagles false-started on the first tush push?
Eagles-Chiefs, one of the biggest games of this NFL season, is unavailable to almost everyone in the country because almost every Fox affiliate is still on Giants-Cowboys and YouTube hasn't lifted the blackout to let Sunday Ticket viewers watch.
September 14, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Eagles-Chiefs, one of the biggest games of this NFL season, is unavailable to almost everyone in the country because almost every Fox affiliate is still on Giants-Cowboys and YouTube hasn't lifted the blackout to let Sunday Ticket viewers watch.
Matt Gay has made just 4 of his last 15 field goals from 50+ yards. You just can't be a kicker in the NFL in the year 2025 if your field goal range cuts off in the 40s.
September 12, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Matt Gay has made just 4 of his last 15 field goals from 50+ yards. You just can't be a kicker in the NFL in the year 2025 if your field goal range cuts off in the 40s.
Ben Johnson screwed up the clock management with 2:02 left in the Bears' loss to the Vikings. Peyton Manning recognized it at the time.
www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb...
www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb...
Peyton Manning rips Bears for burning the two-minute warning with a returnable kickoff
Bears head coach Ben Johnson made a clock-management blunder late in the loss to the Vikings.
www.nbcsports.com
September 9, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Ben Johnson screwed up the clock management with 2:02 left in the Bears' loss to the Vikings. Peyton Manning recognized it at the time.
www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb...
www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb...
The Bears have more interception return yards off J.J. McCarthy than the Vikings have receiving yards catching his passes. That's never a good sign.
September 9, 2025 at 2:07 AM
The Bears have more interception return yards off J.J. McCarthy than the Vikings have receiving yards catching his passes. That's never a good sign.
Viewers of the ManningCast just missed two full plays while Peyton and Eli did some kind of little skit. I like the ManningCast (and I wish more networks did alternate broadcasts) but the focus has to be the game, first and foremost.
September 9, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Viewers of the ManningCast just missed two full plays while Peyton and Eli did some kind of little skit. I like the ManningCast (and I wish more networks did alternate broadcasts) but the focus has to be the game, first and foremost.